


A Living Shell

by Lunneus



Category: Persona 4, Persona Series
Genre: Additional Warnings In Author's Note, Canon-Typical Violence, Mental Breakdown, no happy ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-06
Updated: 2015-10-06
Packaged: 2018-04-25 03:34:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,991
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4945234
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lunneus/pseuds/Lunneus
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>How could this have happened? How could he have let this happen. He was the leader, the protector. He defended everyone, so... why?</p>
<p>In which Nanako doesn't survive the TV world, Souji finally crumbles under pressure, and Yosuke just wants to keep his dear Partner from destroying himself.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Living Shell

**Author's Note:**

> HiHello I did it again. I wrote another sad, sad story. Ah jeez.. I really can't write anything else? As per usual, there is no happy ending, only brokenness vuv
> 
> Additional notes;  
> \- The Yosuke/Souji relationship is very minor, you could choose to just read it as a very concerned and devoted friend if you like. Or as what could have been the beginnings of a relationship, whatever you chose is correct.  
> \- I know of the ending where Nanako dies, but I haven't actually played through that ending, I went straight for the true ending cause screw Adachi.
> 
>    
> I don't have a beta, so if you see a typo or whatever, let me know.  
> The beginning is meant to sound a little bit jumbled since it's mostly Souji's thoughts and feelings at that moment.

Souji stared blankly at the monitor. He didn't know what to feel, how to feel, as he stared at that line... that flat green line. The world around him seemed to fade away to nothingness, all that he could perceive was the flat line, the shrill beep... and the still body of his precious, precious cousin.

How could this have happened? How could he have _let_ this happen. He was the leader, the protector. He defended everyone, so why?

Why? 

_...Why?_  

Why couldn't he save Nanako?

It was all his fault... he didn't find her fast enough. He couldn't help her get better. He couldn't keep any of his promises he made to her. He... he failed. He failed and now this was his punishment... to lose someone so precious, so innocent. He should have just gone in the TV in the truck. He was strong enough, they all were. There wouldn't have been any danger. Why did he listen to everyone else? He was the leader. They're supposed to follow _him_ not...

Finally, he felt something; a rage boiling in him like a searing inferno. Burning away everything inside of him. His body... it felt hot and cold all at once. His heart was crushed, ruined, destroyed, he felt numb to everything but the rage, the anger, and the hatred. That was all that was left. Everything else that made him 'Souji Seta' was gone. Now there was just...

Vengence.

He stepped back from Nanako's bedside and turned toward the door. He idly heard the others calling out for him as he exited, but it was all just static in the background.

 

-x-

 

“Do you think Senpai is going to be ok?” Rise's concerned voice wavered as she spoke. “I... I've never seen that look on his face, even when you guys were fighting shadows. It was... scary.”

Yosuke spoke up next, trying to sound hopeful even though his voice cracked with sorrow.

“H-he's our leader, right? He's always been strong and level headed, right? I'm sure he's fine, but I'll go check on him.”

The others nodded to him before dropping their dull gazes back to the floor. To be honest, it was painfully apparent that no one had anything left in them anymore. What did they have to protect anymore? Sure they'd saved so many, but the one who meant the most to all of them... they'd failed her.

Out in the hallway, once he'd walked a ways away, Yosuke finally let himself break down. He slid down the wall and buried his face in his hands. His body shook and jolted with silent sobs. He couldn't believe he failed Nanako... failed his Partner. He was supposed to protect both of them, or at least help protect Nanako. He knew he would never be as strong as Souji, never in a million years but at least... at least he thought he could help him.

Tears streamed down his cheeks endlessly and he could feel his eye burning from them while his heart was slowly crushed by guilt and sorrow. He dug the heels of his palms into his eyes and gripped his hair painfully tight, he idly thought of ripping it all out. How would that help? He didn't know, it certainly wouldn't, but he really wanted to. Maybe he wanted to punish himself for being a failure.

Then he heard voices down the hall, it sounded... familiar but different. He dragged himself up off of the floor and stumbled toward the sound. Peeking around the corner he saw the strangest sight.

It was his Partner, Souji, and Namatame walking towards the front of the hospital. Why was he with them? Namatame was supposed to be imprisoned and he'd.... he... did that to Nanako. So, why? But then, he heard something that sent a cold shiver down his spine.

“I understand now, Namatame. You were just trying to save her. The only reason that she died was because the discord of this world poisoned the other. So as thanks, I'm going to help you escape too.”

“R-really? You.. you understand then! You can keep saving people! You have the power too, so...”

“Don't worry about anything Namatame, I'll take care of it all.”

That tone it was... terrifying. Like the look Rise said he had. Souji wasn't always known for putting much emotion into his words, but they always had this sincerity to them that let you know you could trust in him. Now... it was gone. There was nothing in his voice. It was just barren, empty... dead. And he was going to free Namatame? Why? He wouldn't just let him go... would he? No... no he trusted his Partner but... something wasn't right.

He saw them turn the corner, still heading toward the lobby of the hospital. Yosuke followed them down another hallway, being sure to hang just out of sight, until they finally reached the front lobby. Namatame was heading for the door... how could he do this and not get caught? This was a rural town, but they still had security... cameras. Yosuke furrowed his brow at the camera closest to him. Instead of the head swiveling back and forth with its blinking red light, it was stationary. The light was off and the lens looked... foggy. Were they all like that? Surely not. Either way, it was no time to worry about faulty electronics, he had to figure out what the hell Souji was doing.

Oddly enough, Souji stopped Namatame from leaving. Yosuke was too far away to hear what was said, but he saw Namatame nod and turn again, heading deeper into the lobby. But there was no door over there. Yosuke crept after them and then he saw what was happening.

There, on a plain stand was a large screen TV. He was going to let him escape into the TV? But there was no telling where that TV let out at, right? Namatame seemed to understand this as well and was hesitant to go in. Souji shoulders stiffened, entire body tensed as he reached up, placed a hand on Namatame's shoulder... and forcefully shoved him inside of the television before climbing in after him. Youskue's jaw dropped, what the hell was Souji thinking!? He rushed to the TV before the portal closed completely and leaped through.

Inside the TV... there was cold white fog everywhere and a floor made of red hexagonal pieces. What was this place? It didn't look anywhere like the other places they'd been. Namatame was sitting on the ground, looking up at Souji with a fearful expression.

“W-what is this? Where are we? I thought we were escaping.”

“Shut up.” Souji's voice was emotionless, yet dripped with venom all the same. Horrifying. Apparently he was so focused on Namatame that he didn't even notice Yosuke's presence... Namatame didn't either.

“B-but y-you said you understood? Y-you said –!”

“I said for you to shut up. I don't want to hear anything from you but a scream.”

“W-what..?”

Souji was lifting his right hand and what should have been a blue card in his hand was deep red, the aura surrounding it black as the void. He was summoning his persona but... this wasn't normal.

“Magastu... Izanagi.” As soon as he whispered the name of his persona, the card shattered in his hand and a foul wind blew. His jacket billowed behind him and a deep crimson aura surged up from his body and took shape.

It looked like Izanagi, his initial persona, but this one... it looked like it was soaked in blood. Even the blade of its glaive was red. Glowing cracks ran along its entire form and its eyes shown a menacing yellow. Yousuke heard a beastly growl emanate from... Souji? Izanagi? He really couldn't tell. The towering Persona took a step forward and he heard the growl again. It sounded like a starving beast who'd just found the perfect prey.

This was bad... so very bad, Souji was going to – to kill him.

“Partner, no!” Yosuke shouted as he rushed forward. He was about to grab Souji when he turned ever so slightly to look at him. And Yosuke froze.

Souji's normally slate grey eyes were glowing yellow, just like Izanagi... just like all their Shadows' did. And there was no emotion in them, just the look of a killer. Souji frowned and glared back at Yosuke, Izanagi seemed to mimic his movements.

“...Why are you here?”

“I... Souji, Partner, you can't do this. What would... what would the others think?”

“They don't need to know. Namatame's been getting away all this time... they'll just assumed he escaped again.”

“Partner... please, don't – !”

Souji had turn his back to him and Izanagi continued his approach toward Namatame. He raised his bloody glaive, let out a deep groan, and swung the blade down. Namatame screamed.

But the blade didn't make contact. Instead, it was caught in the teeth of Susano-O's saw-like ring. Izanagi growled in frustration but didn't remove his blade.

Souji turned sharply to Yosuke again, saw his hand clenched around what would have been his persona's card. Souji had messed up again; he shouldn't have let himself be followed.

“Yosuke... leave. Now.”

“I'm not going to let you do this. You can't just kill him like this! Then you'll be no better than him! Throwing people into the TV and killing them!”

“...Am I not the leader? Haven't I always made the decisions? I'm deciding now that you need to leave” Souji's face was twisted into some horrid look of anger and betrayal. But Yosuke didn't want to betray his Partner, never in his life. He just... wanted to save him from this.

When Yosuke glared back at him, Souji understood that this wasn't going to go his way... at least not immediately. He clenched his fist and called out to Izanagi. The persona responded with a groan and lifted his glaive away from from Susano-O and Yosuke let out a relived sigh... but it was short lived.

With Souji still staring coldly at Yosuke with his inhuman eyes, Izanagi lifted his left hand to Susano-O and a pale red thunderbolt came crashing down onto Yosuke's persona. Susano-O crumpled to the ground along with his saw-ring. Before Susano-O could recover, Izanagi slashed clean through the downed persona. Susano-O's body vaporized and a feeling of unbearable weariness came over Yosuke as he fell to his knees.

He couldn't do anything but watch and hear Namatame scream as Izanagi's blade skewered his body.

 

-x-

 

Somehow, all of the cameras that night were down. No one understood how each and every one of the cameras in the hospital could malfunction for that specific frame of time and no signs of tampering were found. There was never a true closure to the case, Namatame was labeled a fugitive and the public was asked to report any sightings of him. Dojima was never the same again, his heart wasn't in anything anymore. He was offered time off, but he opted to drown himself in work. He needed something, anything, to numb the pain.

Souji never mentioned to the rest of their team what happened in the TV that night and Yosuke... Yosuke didn't either. He knew he should, but he couldn't hurt Souji like that. But Souji... he wasn't the same as he used to be. His eyes didn't have that shine to them anymore, his voice didn't have that little spark that always made you smile. He really was empty now. This Souji... this was just a shell of his Partner. Something leftover from what died with Nanako... from what died in the TV.

But maybe... just maybe, if Yosuke stayed with him, just maybe something would seep back into that hollow shell. Souji had always been there for him when he was broken, so he'd stay by his Partner's side... even if there wasn't anything left of him.

**Author's Note:**

> I know Magatsu Izanagi is teeechnically Adachi's persona but I thought it'd be fitting if Souji's deteriorating mental and emotional state causes Izanagi to transform into Magatsu.  
> Also how did all the cameras go fuzzy? Who knows c: maybe Magatsu had something to do with that, or maybe Izanami.


End file.
